Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A New York State Trooper was injured when a distracted driver struck a marked police vehicle on the eastbound Southern State Parkway just west of exit 14 on Saturday morning, April 12, 2026, according to New York State Police. The driver, identified as Monica Diaz Cabera, age 26, told investigators she was adjusting her boot and socks inside her gray Jeep Wrangler at the time of the collision.
The incident began at approximately 5:43 am when New York State Police responded to the eastbound Southern State Parkway for an initial motor vehicle collision, according to the press release. Troopers positioned their marked patrol cars to safely assist with traffic control due to the hazardous location of the original crash scene.
At approximately 5:47 am, just four minutes after the initial response, Cabera’s gray Jeep Wrangler struck the rear of the marked State Police patrol car, police report. The force of the impact was significant enough to push the trooper’s vehicle a considerable distance from the right lane all the way across to the center and left lanes of the parkway. Meanwhile, the Jeep left the roadway entirely and came to rest on the right shoulder.
During the subsequent investigation, Cabera admitted to officers that she was traveling at an unsafe speed and failed to move over for the marked police vehicle as required by law, according to police. She further stated that she was distracted while adjusting her boot and socks inside the vehicle at the time of the collision, investigators report.
Both the injured trooper and Cabera sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Both individuals have since been released from the hospital, according to the updated police report issued on April 13, 2026.
The New York State Police emphasized in their statement that distracted driving remains a top cause of roadway collisions and creates serious danger to first responders and the public. Authorities stressed that drivers must remain alert, avoid distractions, and stay focused on the roadway at all times, particularly when emergency vehicles are present on the scene.
Location & Road Context
The collision occurred on the eastbound Southern State Parkway just west of exit 14, which is located in the Nassau County area of Long Island. This particular stretch of the Southern State Parkway is a heavily traveled commuter route that sees significant morning rush hour traffic, making it a challenging location for emergency responders to work safely.
According to Long Island Traffic database records, this section of the Southern State Parkway has recorded 277 incidents, indicating it is a particularly active area for traffic-related events. Recent incidents in the database include multiple instances of roadwork operations and crashes, suggesting this corridor experiences frequent disruptions that require emergency response and traffic control measures.